It is indeed encouraging to learn that Nagaland has received investment intent worth Rs 4510 crore from both government and private investors during the B20 meet held in Kohima. According to official statements, there are business propositions to the tune of Rs 2000 crore in agro and food processing, rubber, MSME, medical tourism, sports and IT sectors which will further be explored and firmed up in due course. The official statement did not mention whether the prospective investors were government or private entities. However, a potential investment size of Rs 1,500 crore in biofuels by a government undertaking and Rs 1,000 crore in renewable energy and Rs 10 crore in health sector by private entities was confirmed. It must be noted here that the “investment intent” is, as the name suggests, an intention to invest. It is not final. There have been instances in the past when prospective investors initially showed interest or intent to invest in Nagaland but eventually backed out. It is hoped that all the investment intent will be translated into reality this time, so that it will set a precedent for more investment opportunities in the future.
While all investments are welcome, it would also bode well for us to remember that the investors come here for business and not charity. Extracting profits from their business is their primary goal. Investors will open up opportunities for us, but they will also cause challenges that we have not yet faced till now. Inflow of investment is expected to grow in the future and, if the prevailing situation improves, we might even have MNCs and FDIs in Nagaland in the near future. We must prepare well to receive them or we risk losing everything while the companies extract profits. Environmental degradation, demographic changes, economic disparity and health issues, to name some, are bound to happen when there is rapid industrialization and development. They come as part of the package.
Meanwhile, this column would like to once again state that Nagaland is fast moving ahead and it is time for Mokokchung to also wake up and join the caravan. Investors will not come to Mokokchung on their own and the Government will only be as proactive as the people are. As such, the onus lies on the people of Mokokchung. We cannot and must not expect someone else to come and develop our land for us while we remain retired to our comfort zones. Not everybody can take the initiative, not everyone can become the leader and not everyone can become the next businessman or entrepreneur. However, as members of the society, everyone can contribute in one way or the other. It is hoped that a leader would emerge from amongst us to lead us, that a new crop of business people and entrepreneurs would emerge from Mokokchung, and that members of the society would support them instead of pulling them down with the proverbial crab-in-a-bucket mentality.